Leather-working machinery.



Patented Aug. I, I899.

W. J.-DUNHAM. LEATHER WORKING MACHINERYI (Lpplication filed Apr. 6, 1899.)

(No Model.)

flavamior: [William J 171 gyw m,

Ma'iizesse 4? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLTAM J. DUNHAM, OF GLOVERSVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIG-NOR or ONE- HALF TO GEORGE HENDRIE, or SAME PLACE.

LEATHER-WORKING MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 630,039, dated August 1, 1899.

Application filed April 6, 1899. Serial No. 711,924. (No model.)

To all wit/0772, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. DUNHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at- Gloversville, in the county of Fulton and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Leather-\Vorking Machinery; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others '10 skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to leather-working machinery design ed, primarily, for use in softening or staking; and it embodies a construction hereinafter described,and definitely pointed out in the claims.

An object of the invention is the provision of new and improved means for supporting with different degrees of flexibility the ma 2o terial to be worked and also the provision of simple and effective adjusting means for the supporting means.

Improved details will also be found in the respective parts and combinations of parts to be specifically referred to in the description and delineated for the purpose of illustration in the accompanying drawings, wherein like letters of reference refer to corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the machine. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3, Fig. 2, looking downward; and Fig. 4 is --'-"'a detail view of the pivoted member to which 5 one end of the flexible supporting means is attached.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the main or bottom framework for the machine, comprising longitudinal and transverse side 40 and end beams and the intermediate longitudinal beam B. Properly spaced apart and extending upwardly from a point slightly inward from the left of the framework are standards C, braced by diagonally-arranged rods 5 D, of any suitable formation. A horizontal shaft E is loosely mounted in bearings at the upper ends of the standards 0 and is adapted to be revolved by a band-pulley E or other suitable or convenient mechanism to impart rotary movement to operating blades or arms E.

Rigidly secured to the beam B at a suitable distance from the standards 0 is a post F, projecting upwardly and outwardly and cut away upon its inner surface, as at f. A cross- 5 5 piece 1 projects to the sides of the post F at its upper outer end and constitutes one of the supporting members for the bed-plaTeTs G G. These bed-plates are curved in the manner shown and are held in position to either side of the post F by means of the flanges g at their lower ends bearing against the standards 0, the flanges 9, also at the lower ends, bearing against the edge of a cross-bar G, corresponding to the cross-bar f, and the flanges g" at their upper ends ongaging the opposite ends of the cross-bar f. All of these flanges are integral with the bedplates, being struck up from the metal thereof.

The means for flexibly supporting the mate- 7o rial to be worked will now be described. Immovably held in place between the post F and cross-barf is one end of a strip of leather or other suitable flexible material. This strip (designated H) is carried downward slightly beyond the cross-bar G and normally sags intermediate its ends in the space left between the bed-plates,(shown at a,Fig. 1.) Now in order that the strip H may at certain times have greater flexibility than at others to ac- 8o commodate different thicknesses of goods being operated upon, &o., I secure the lower end of the strip to a pivoted member J, having earsj fitting in recesses j in the beam B, through which the pivotj passes. Passing through a screw-threaded aperture in this plate is an adj usting-bolt K, adapted to bear against a metallic leaf-spring L, and thereby increase or diminish the tension on the strip l-I.

That the strip H and the material resting 9o thereon may at the will of the operator be thrown out of the way of the operating blades or arms E" the leaf L is only secured at one end Z and is free at its opposite end, resting and sliding upon the guide l. The free end 5 of the leaf is engaged by a lever M, which holds the same when the machine is being operated in firm contact with the adjustingscrew K. This lever is pivoted at m to the standard 0, and its free end works in a slot m in the bed-plate G, while its opposite end is in turn pivotally connected to a hand-lever '2 access N, serrated at n on its under face and adapted 'to be locked in adjusted .positions by the be obvious that when'the lever M is held in be held in operative position with a predetermined degree of flexibility; but when it is desired to throw the strip and the material resting thereupon away from the operatingblades all that is necessary is to release the hand-lever N, and the spring 0, connected to the top of the pivoted member J and provided for the purpose, will draw the same into the position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. Leather-working machinery, com prising a suitable framework, separated bed-plates mounted thereon, operating blades or arms, a- ITe-xible supporting-strip secured interm ediate the bed-plates, and means for adjusting the strip to'predetermined degrees of flexibility, substantially as described.

2. In a leather-working machine, the combination with a suitable framework, operating blades or arms, a flexible supporting-strip for thematerial to be operated upon, and means unyieldable when the machine is in operation connected to one end of the strip for adjusting the same to predetermined degrees of flexibility.

3. In a leather-working machine, the combination with a suitable framework, operating blades or arms, a flexible su pporting-stri p for the material to be operated upon held at one end, means for normally holding the strip out of operative position, and means unyieldable when the machine is in operative position connected to the movable end of the strip for adjusting the same to predetermined desubstantially as described.

5. In a leather-working machine, the combination with a suitable framework, operating blades or arms, a flexible supporting-strip for the material to be operated upon held at one end, a pivoted member secured to the opposite end of the .strip, means for normally retaining the pivoted member away from the operating-blades, and an adjustable lever for holding said member in operative position, substantially as described.

6. In a leather-working machine,-the combination with a suitable framework, operating blades or arms, a flexible supporting-strip for the material to be operated upon held at one end, a pivoted member secured to the 0pposite end of the strip, an I adjusting-screw passing through said member, a bearing-plate for the screw, means for normally retaining the pivoted member away from the operatingblades, and means for holding the bearing plate in engagement with the adj Listing-screw, substantially as described.

7. In a leather-working machine, the combination with a suitable framework, operating blades or arms, a flexible supporting-strip for the material to be operated upon held at one end, a pivoted member secured to the opposite end of the strip, an adjusting-screw passing through said member, a bearing-plate for the screw free at one end, a leverengaging the free end of the plate, a hand-lever pivoted thereto and adjustable in the frame, and a spring for normally retaining the pivoted member away from the operating-blades, substantially as described.

8. In a leather-working machine, the combination with a suitable framework, operating blades or arms, a flexible supporting-strip for the material to be operated upon, an adjustable pivoted member connected to one end of the strip for imparting to the same a desired flexibility, substantially as described.

9. In a leather-working machine, the com- XVILLIAM J. DUNHAM.

\Vit nesses:

WILLIAM G. MILLS, HENRY C. MoLEAN. 

